Reed holder



Feb.' 9, -1943. w. NEUERBURG 2,310,908

REED HOLDER Filed Ot. 13, 1941 .Im/enfor: wal *if Neutlb MIS ATTORNESS Patented Feb. 9, 1943 REED HOLDER Walter Neuerburg, Cologne-Marienburg, Germany; vested in the Alien Property Custodian Application October 13, 1941, Serial No. 414,743 In Germany June 15, 1940 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a double formation reed holder for accordions and similar musical instruments provided with a register slide, and has for its object to insure better guiding of the air and thereby to produce a stronger and nobler tone.

As is generally known, the cross section oi the air inlet openings in such instruments materially affects the formation of the tone both as to intensity and quality. If the cross section is below the optimum, the reed does not get enough air and the emerging sound waves are choked with the result that the tone is not fully developed and sounds somewhat covered. In dimensioning the air openings restrictions prevail, however, particularly when the rows of reeds are fitted with air shut-off valves as are practically all instruments of medium and larger size. The extent of these openings in transverse and longitudinal directions in reed holders or blocks of the usual type requires a certain length or Width of the instrument. When the bar of the reed block is tted with an air valve adapted to expose or shut-off the openings in the bar by being displaced in the longitudinal ydirection of the reed block, any enlargement of the openings in the direction of the valve requires a corresponding increase in the size of the spaces formed between these openings. This means that each millimeter added to the size of the openings involves an increase or" two millimeters in the length of the instrument. Any enlargement of the latter is, however, highly undesirable, since it increases weight and renders the instrument less handy.

in reed holders having two rows of air passages these drawbacks are overcome according to the invention by materially enlarging the air inlet openings without increasing the dimensions of the ree-d biock in any direction. To this end the air shut-off valves and their guide walls, proceeding approximately from the line of contact between the reed plates and the bar of the reed block, are inserted in the air passages at an acute angle in such manner that the vertical line of the angle formed by the inclined walls extends on a level with the middle wall separating the air passages oi opposite rows of reeds and being ush with said iine. A further feature of the invention is that a common opening is provided in the bar cf the reed block for every two oppositely disposed air passages.

@wing to their inclined position the air valves have become much broader, so that the air inlet openings may be considerably increased in size. For example, the usual opening of a valve in prior art reed holders may be assumed to measure 8 X l0 mm. or, at the highest, 8 X l1 mm. whilst the invention, by a corresponding inclination of the valves, makes it possible to obtain an opening of twice the height of the hole or more. The openings in the bar of the holder may also be enlarged, since the separation of the two oppositely positioned air passages is not eiTected in the bar of the holder but in the interior thereof by means of the inclined valves, in consequence whereof the two oppositely disposed rows of reeds do not require any more two separate openings in the bar but only one common opening. The gain in size is considerable. If for instance the inlet hole formerly measured 8 x 10 mm. or 8 X 11 mm., it can now be enlarged to measure 14 X 24 mm.

The effect on the tone is remarkable. The volume of sound produced by the instrument is conspicuously enlarged while simultaneously the tone becomes opener and purer due to the fact that the air carrying the tone can iiow in and out without forming a vortex of the wrong kind. The tonal response is, furthermore, brought about more quickly and at slightest pressure.

One form of the invention is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a cross section of a reed holder according to the invention and Fig. 2, a front view of a reed holder with the bar partly omitted.

The reed holder comprises the usual partitions a, a rear wall b, a middle wall c, a bar d and reed plates e1, e2 which cover the air passages. Approximately on a level with the reed plates e1, e2, air shutof valves g1, g2 with their guide walls f1, f2, provided with air openings, are inserted from the bar d at an acute angle in the air passages. The inclined walls f1, f2 abut against the middle wall c which does not extend down to the bar d but terminates approximately on the line of intersection of the walls f1, f2. In the bar d a common large opening h, indicated by shading in the central eld in Fig. 2, is provided for every two oppositely disposed air passages.

Between tho bar d and the two inclined walls f1, f2 funnel-like antechambers for the air passages are formed, which exert an influence upon the supply of air to the air passages and thus also upon the tone. Such funnel-like antechambers are effective also if air shut-off valves and other control means are omitted and are therefore not restricted to the example shown and described.

I claim:

l. A reed holder provided with two rows of air extending approximately from the line of Contact of said reed plates and bar at an acute angle to the air passages to said middle wall, the vertical line of the angle formed by said inclined Walls extending approximately on the level with said middle Wall and being ush therewith.

2. A reed holder according to claim 1, in which a common opening is provided in the bar for every two oppositely disposed air passages.

WALTER NEUERLBURG. 

